Greater Ontario CVB Gets Industry Award for an Impressive Year’s Work
ONTARIO, Calif. (PRWEB) November 21, 2013 -- Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has selected the Greater Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau for an award of excellence for its impressive accomplishments in the past year, officials announced today.
The CVB was chosen from among 1,200 applicants from around the world for a Bronze Adrian Award, to be presented Feb. 24 at the 57th annual Adrian Awards in New York, the largest and most prestigious travel marketing competition in the world.
“As the advertising, public relations and digital marketing realms are constantly evolving, the bar is continuously set higher annually in regard to the Adrian Awards submissions we receive,” said Fran Brasseux, HSMAI executive vice president. “This year, we saw outstanding entries in all categories and in particular an ability to implement integrated campaigns that garnered powerful results across multiple channels.”
Michael Krouse, President and CEO of the Greater Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau, spearheaded much of the momentum that led to the five-year strategy. But he credits his team with making it work.
“This has been a whirlwind year for us all,” Krouse said. “In the span of mere months, we have accomplished nothing short of a miracle. I am humbled by the incredible drive and talent of those on our team, and look forward to seeing what we accomplish in the year ahead.”
Greater Ontario’s award was issued for the CVB’s five-year Strategic Sales & Marketing Campaign, which emphasizes collaboration among key partners throughout the Inland Empire. In its first year, key accomplishments included:
• A new name, the Greater Ontario Convention Center, to reflect a new collaborative spirit between the cities of Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga and the region
• New branding and collateral
• A funding mechanism to promote Greater Ontario through the Tourism Marketing District
• A new, interactive website, http://www.DiscoverOntarioCalifornia.org, which integrates two other sites: http://www.DiscoverRanchoCucamonga.org (promoting Rancho Cucamonga); and http://www.ontariocc.org (promoting the Ontario Convention Center).
• Two new regional events that bring people to Greater Ontario (Huck Finn Jubilee and Route 66 Cruisin’ Reunion)
• A comprehensive advertising campaign to raise awareness of the region, its attractions and meeting venues
• The development of social media and public relations platforms with measurable results
These accomplishments yielded significant results, even in their first year:
• Bookings and room nights from citywide conventions: Year-to-Date (July – September) numbers of Conventions and Events Bookings in 2013-14 are up 18 percent from the previous year, as are associated room nights which increased 85 percent in the same period.
• Leads and room nights for self- contained meetings: Sales leads this year for self-contained events and conventions have increased by 60 percent over 2012-13.
• Leisure travel bookings: Overall, Greater Ontario’s hotels are reporting increases in occupancy over last year of 2.2 percent.
• Ad Value for paid and unpaid publicity: Ad value has increased rapidly since the initiation of this project, measuring at $1.45 million for Q1; $2.29 million for Q2; and $5.58 million for Q3 for an overall increase of 74 percent.
• Impressions for paid and unpaid publicity: Impressions have reflected similar gains, at 109 million for Q1; 469 million for Q2; and 508 million for Q3 for an overall increase of 79 percent.
• Website traffic: Our goal in Year One was to get 6,000 visits per month on the new site. To date, we have surpassed that goal at 6,957 visits per month on average, a 16 percent increase.
• The creation of new, multi-day events: Not only has the Ontario Convention Center seen a rise in events since the implementation of this plan, but the number of regional events has also grown overall. The Greater Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau this year added two major, multi-day celebrations to Ontario: Huck Finn Jubilee and Route 66 Cruisin’ Reunion, http://www.route66cruisinreunion.com, both of which brought more than 150,000 visitors in their first year to the city.
About the Greater Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Greater Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau provides groups and meeting professionals with an unbiased, comprehensive resource when booking a tour, convention, meeting or event within the cities of Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. Ideal for both leisure and business travel, the region boasts scenic mountains, deserts, vineyards and metropolitan areas that are both historic and cosmopolitan in character. For meeting needs of all sizes – from a conference room to a citywide convention utilizing the Ontario Convention Center – or for a special exposition or sporting event, the Greater Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau will provide the necessary destination support tools to execute a successful experience.
Michael Krouse, Greater Ontario Convention & Vistors Bureau, http://www.discoverontariocalifornia.org, +1 909-937-3000, [email protected]
Share this article